


Lifening

by TaylorJ



Category: Hockey RPF, Mighty Ducks (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Charlie Conway is a Penguin, M/M, Pittsburgh Penguins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-24
Updated: 2014-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-26 22:41:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2669081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaylorJ/pseuds/TaylorJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie Conway and his life as a Pittsburgh Penguin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lifening

**Author's Note:**

> After months of reading through the amazing-ness that is this Hockey RPF fandom, I've finally decided to upload the plotbunny that won't leave me alone. This first portion took me two days to write and months of rereading/questioning everything about it so there's no guarantees as to when the next part will show. 
> 
> This was inspired by a post I saw in the, I believe, Make the Yuletide Gay prompts. I've been in the mighty ducks fan fiction world for 10+ years, (seriously, fanfiction.net - Vinnies-Angel, I was posting there before I was "allowed" to read what I was writing) but this is my first attempt at Hockey RPF. There are minor extensions of belief in this story as I had to take liberties meshing real world with a friggen Disney created character/fandom but it's nothing that should make anyone cringe. 
> 
> I don't have a beta so all mistakes are my own. 
> 
> Story title is from the Snow Patrol song Lifening and the chapter titles are my favorite lines from it.

Charlie Conway has always been a rather confident human being. Well, after the Ducks won their first peewees championship that is. He was sure of himself when the team traveled to the Junior Goodwill Games, when they received scholarships to the prestigious Eden Hall Academy, and when he was scouted to play college hockey at Michigan State. He generally walks through his life with his head held high and all his loose ends tied in neat order.

The only person Charlie has ever known to be able to disrupt that order was currently on the other side of the country, swimming in another professional team's "duck" pond. He anticipates never knowing someone else who can tie his stomach in knots and leave him without knowing if he is coming or going.

Drafted straight out of college, Charlie wound up going late in the fourth round to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Only two other Ducks had decided to enter the 2005 NHL draft after they earned their degrees, even though most of them played throughout college, and Adam wound up going in the middle of the second round to the Dallas Stars while Guy went in the start of the fourth to the Florida Panthers.

Charlie hadn't cared when he was drafted beyond the fact that he _was._ All his life, all he'd ever known was hockey. Bombay helped him to be good while his old high school coach, Orion, helped him to succeed at the sport. He thanked them both the day after the draft with personal letters and received one back from each, continuing to keep up with regular correspondence.

After the draft, Charlie spent three years in the Penguins pool in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he was able to hone his skills even more. He found himself among a ton of bright-eyed guys around his age, most who'd been inspired by or remembered him from the Junior Goodwill Games, and the group of them were drowning in mentors underneath the veterans. He learned everything those old guys were willing to teach the young group through his multiple training camps, practicing his skills to the point where his were better than those with the previous NHL experience. In fact, by the end of his third season, Charlie was so confident that he'd be the next man called up that he made a bet with one of his teammates to drop out of the league if he wasn't.

In retrospect, it had been a really foolish bet, and when the Penguins chose to get Adams off waivers and pull Vitale up for a game, he began to write his formal resignation. Luckily for him, at the very next game, another of the pros was injured and it was Charlie's turn to shine.

 

 

\---

 

 

When Charlie walks into the locker room for the first time at Mellon Arena, he finds himself alone and unable to shake the feeling of awe that he's actually made it there. He hears broken snapshots of conversations he's had with various past teammates running through his mind as he slowly walks the space, reaching a hand out to touch the jerseys as he passes. Charlie circles the whole locker room like that, the last words ringing through his mind from Adam, _"We made it, Charlie!", _from when they last saw each other after the draft selections.__

Charlie doesn't see him until he turns around; Sidney Crosby's standing in the locker room doorway smiling at him. They had met a few times while Charlie was in Wilkes-Barre but Sidney was one of those elusive greats that were always running special drills so Charlie has never really spoken to him. In fact, he could even say that he doesn't have a clue what the guy's voice sounds like in person. Charlie expects a laugh when the younger man opens his mouth, not a reflection of understanding and awe in his voice.

"It's surreal, huh." He says, non-condescendingly.

"You have no idea," he replies a little breathless, still fingering the jersey in the locker assigned to him. He reads his name in the ruffles of the material: a C, O, half an N, no W, and the A, Y. And really, this is Sidney Crosby for goodness sake, he couldn't have any idea. He _already is_ one of the greats, even at just twenty-one years of age, having been the first pick of the draft that Charlie had to go through years of college to be a part of and becoming a Captain after only two years in the league. Charlie feels unaccomplished standing in the room with a player of Sidney Crosby's caliber.

"I'm Sid. You're Charlie, right?" He asks as he walks closer, one hand stretching out to welcome him.

"Yeah, yes!" He jumps to say. "God, sorry," he grabs Sidney's hand and shakes, "I'm a little spacey today. It's nice to meet you."

"No worries, Charlie," he winks at him as he walks away and Charlie can feel his heartbeat start to thrum in his chest.

The thing about Charlie, that he's never actually had to own up to, is that he's happy to play for his own team. But whether or not he was dating or simply fucking around, it's never been something he's had to clarify. He's spent years ogling guys his senior — and let's face it, his junior — in the locker rooms and getting off to thoughts of their bodies when alone at night.

In college, he'd even been able to play out some of those highly coveted fantasies with those that had sparked them. Where high school for him had been more about friends and getting to know himself, college had basically been just one huge orgy. He refuses to let his sexuality capitalize this experience though, or possibly ruin it, so Charlie forces himself to temper back the excitement he can feel beginning when he looks in Sidney's direction. Charlie's waited too long for this opportunity to blow it on some attraction for the league's best player.

The rest of the team slowly begins to filter into the room and Charlie has to turn back to his locker to hide his blush. He knows his cheeks are stained red and he can feel the butterflies swimming in his stomach.

They're getting ready for a game that night and Charlie finds himself able to relax with the comforts of locker room banter. This, he's used to; this is the atmosphere he knows. He starts to go through his pre-game routine, throwing off his shirt in favor for his Under Armor, and he's able to lose himself momentarily in the monotony of something so familiar.

That night, Charlie plays better than he has in his entire life. His name is plastered across the papers in Pittsburgh the next morning and ESPN is planning to run a special on the old Team USA Ducks Captain and Charlie feels like he's finally made it. He knows with how well he played, even with the pro he's replaced recovering, that he's solidified himself a spot somewhere in the national league.

 

 

\---

 

 

When he wakes in the morning, a good week after he started playing in the pros, Charlie finds himself compelled to call Adam and tell him every detail of his recent whirlwind; but they haven't spoken like that since senior year of high school and Adam's the area of his life that's always been a little hazy. He tries to distract himself by spending most of his day cleaning and by dusk, he's sitting at his desk again, contemplating calling. He ultimately suppresses the urge to type his best friend's number into his phone's keyboard and leaves his room.

Since his call up from the minors, he's been living in a temporary hold that the Penguins have for their players in the 'in between'. The staffs' unsure if he'll be sent back to the AHL or if he's proving to be a large enough asset to keep around so they've asked him to stay there in the name of saving money. The place steams with an odor that's dug into the carpet — so many players have come and gone here that Charlie thinks it'll smell like a locker room until it's knocked down — but otherwise it's fairly nice.

He doesn't really know anyone else living there but he's spoken in passing to a few of them; they all seem to maintain better conversation with him on the ice than at home so he's been finding himself on edge all week. He walks out of his room and finds that a few other pros are milling about in the common area of the floor and Charlie feels like he needs to re-introduce himself every time he sees these guys. Sure they've met before, and they're his teammates now, but they've never really talked, and regardless of how well he's been playing as a third line center, he knows that it's these guys that'll help further his career.

He's just gotten into a good conversation with Matt about life back in Minnesota when a large group of veterans pile in. They don't live there, neither does Matt, Charlie notes, but they're dragging everyone out of their rooms and urging Charlie to tag along and Charlie knows that going out with these guys will prove to be breakthrough that he's needed. He also knows that he's only had three nights actually playing in the pros and that he can't fuck that up with booze. It's only when Sidney comes up to him after half the group has already walked out that Charlie sighs reluctantly and heads back to his room to grab a coat.

They spend the evening circling a few great sports bars in the area and Charlie's only had himself one beer by the time the group heads back to the "sweat locker" (Charlie's affectionate nickname for the hold). The team loiters for a while in the common area before the guys who don't live there slowly start to filter on home.

Charlie's just about to head to bed himself when he finds that the rest of the group has disbursed and it's only him and Sidney still sitting in the room. He makes small talk for another few minutes, trying to come up with a way to leave without making Sidney feel ditched, when he finds himself distracted enough by his thoughts to not have seen his Captain move. Charlie turns his head just in time to catch Sidney's lips at an angle as they move to crash into his. He feels himself stiffen under the touch but Sidney's hand has come to rest in the nook between his neck and collarbone and he slowly lets himself melt into the other man. He hasn't felt lips on his in so long that he finds he doesn't remember how fast his body flushes with heat under another's touch or how quickly he can find himself ready to head to the bedroom. Charlie resists that urge and parts his lips; he leans back slowly and allows Sidney to crawl into the chair with him.

They've been leisurely kissing and tasting one another for maybe five minutes, Charlie's hands rubbing up and down the material covering Sidney's thighs, when Charlie's teeth catch on Sidney's and he has to pull himself away. He's breathing in and out hard but keeps his head tucked towards the other man's so they're sharing air, his hands stilling on the younger man's hips. He has to shake his head a few times to clear the cobwebs that have built but finally, Charlie pulls back to look at him.

Sidney's lips are swollen and his eyes are glazed over; Charlie knows that, to Sidney, he probably looks the same. He can't stop himself, though, when the words that spread to the tip of his tongue fall out in a flurry. "What was that?"

Sidney licks his lips, his eyes finally flickering up to meet Charlie's. "Welcome to the team?" He supplies, the words sound more like a question than an answer.

Charlie chuckles low in his throat and squeezed his hands where they rest around Sidney's hipbones. He leans his forehead in again and tilts his head, pressing a kiss to the corner of his Captain's open mouth. "You sure know how to welcome a guy."

"I admit I've never welcomed anyone else that way before." He says a little unsurely as he kisses Charlie back.

And Charlie just smiles. The word "Good" gets lost on his breath as he plunges his tongue back into Sidney's warm, warm mouth.

 

 

\---

 

 

They don't talk about it but they do spend the next few weeks finding empty corners to throw each other into and when the guy Charlie replaced comes back and it's someone else sent down, Charlie thinks that he owes his spot to Sidney. He knows that he's good, great even, but he doesn't have experience in the positions where they're short; Charlie is just another center that they don't necessarily need. He doesn't mind it though, and he takes Sidney's advances whenever they come at him, remembering past coaches advice to always obey his Captain.

But all this _not talking_ is getting to Charlie. He knows Sidney's never been to college, he knows that he's got all the experience in this department — that was proven true the first time Sidney put his hand on him a few weeks into whatever it is they're doing; he'd been tentative and unsure and he still hasn't even tried to go down on Charlie — so Charlie's scared that he's just some sort of experiment for the younger man. They've yet to discuss one bit of it and it's been two months of not talking and stress-relieving kisses that begin unraveling some of Charlie's nicely tied loose ends. Sidney's managed to crawl under Charlie's skin as if it were only a shirt that could be torn from his body and Charlie's terrified of what that means. He knows he's not playing games here anymore.

 

 

\---

 

 

It's another week after Charlie's figured that out that he finds his back pressed against the tiled wall of the large shower room at the arena. Sidney's pressing his body flat to his and Charlie's legs are sprawled and barely holding him up and he's grinding restlessly against Sidney's thick, thick thigh, trusting him to keep him upright. He's hard and aching and the tongue in his mouth is only worsening his condition. They're in the locker room alone, having been working on a few drills by themselves after practice, so they're not hard-pressed to hold in their moans, and when Sidney groans deep and low in his throat, Charlie feels his stomach clench and waves of pleasure wash through him. He breaths heavy into the younger man's open mouth as he comes down from his high, the Captain still grinding against his leg.

He pulls back and, once he gains his barings, smirks, flipping them so that it's Sidney's back against the wall. He presses his palms against Sidney's hips and sinks to his knees. The tiles are not great for his knees and the water is streaming in his face but he keeps his eyes closed and the angle is only a little awkward at first. He knows he's safe to move his hands against the wall though and that leaves Sidney the ability to thrust.

He does, and Charlie gags a little but that only seems to spur Sidney on. Sidney's fingers wind into his hair and he's curling himself over Charlie's body, leaning against him to hold himself up. He hinges at his waist and suddenly the stream of water is gone and Charlie can squint upwards to watch him cum, warm and gooey liquid filling the back of his mouth.

Sidney looks gorgeous when he cums and Charlie thinks that every time he watches. His cheeks flush and his lips part for his panting and his eyes glaze over with pleasure. Thanks to Charlie, his hair is also mucked and there's a freshly "just fucked" expression filtering across his face. He pulls his hands from Charlie's hair and falls back against the wall behind him.

Charlie's panting a little when he stands but he leans through the spray of water and seals himself to Sidney. He tucks his head into the nook his shoulder and neck make and loosely hangs his arms around the younger man's waist. He can feel Sidney shaking and his first thought is that the position they're in is too intimate and Sidney's freaking out but he quickly realizes the water streaming against his back is like ice and that they've been in the shower for an hour. His own hands are pruney and even he could use a good electric blanket right about now, so he pulls back and smiles and grabs Sidney's hand as they walk out. They wordlessly dress at their lockers that are situated next to each other and when Sidney finishes first, he sits down on the bench and starts to play with the tape on the edge of his hockey stick.

Charlie's dressed and just pulling his second sock on when a particularly loud rip of tape catches his attention. He freezes, sock half on and leg in the air, balancing on one foot, and his heart starts to pound in his chest.

"You know this... thing... between us..." And this is the conversation Charlie's been trying to have for weeks and Sidney's been avoiding with every excuse in the book or by supplying every distraction that he can. And this isn't where Charlie's wanted to have it. He's vulnerable here, in a locker room he'll have to be in for who knows how many more days, weeks, months or years, but he can't change it now and he listens with a sinking feeling in his chest.

"You know I don't have a clue what I'm doing, Charlie." Sidney doesn't look up as he addresses him, continuing to wrap and unwrap the tape around his stick. "I've never even looked twice at another guy before and you show up and just... throw me for a loop. I don't know what I'm doing with you, let alone in my own head, but I know I don't want it to change. Not yet anyway. I'm-I'm really enjoying what we're doing."

Charlie thinks he may have fallen over or something by the time he registers what Sidney's actually said. He's sitting on the floor with his fingers tangled in his sock and foot and he's staring up at the younger man like he's crazy. He knows he blinks more than once and that he looks like a complete idiot right now but he's been taught to always think the worst while hoping for the best so it's all still just a little mind-numbing. But a smile spreads slowly across his face, and it's bright and it's huge and it's happiness, and he can't help but throw himself at Sidney, taking him down to the ground as well.


End file.
